MEET OUR FOUNDER

ANOURADHA
BAKSHI

CEO, ProjectWHY

About the Founder

The Constant Questioner - Newspaper Article

Anouradha Bakshi (Anou)

Anouradha Bakshi was born in Prague in 1952. The daughter of a diplomat, she spent her childhood in diverse countries before finally making New Delhi her home. She taught French and worked as an interpreter and conference organiser. She also worked in All India Radio.

The last words of her father: ‘Don’t lose faith in India’ made her question the validity of an almost perfect life in an India where too many ‘whys’ needed to be answered. In 1998 she set up Project Why in an effort to find answers to the deafening whys that disturbed her. Today, Project Why works with over 1200 disadvantaged urban poor children and women, in five communities with the mission of "Creating Spaces To Dream, Learn And Transform Lives”.

Her project has transformed the lives of over 10,000 underserved children & women through education & skill development. The school dropout rate is zero amongst those attending Project WHY centres. Students have not just graduated from school but pursued university education.

In 2005 she was voted Citizen One by the India Today group.

In 2009, she received the citation, the Civil Society Karamveer Award

In 2017, Rotary Club Delhi Premier honoured her with a distinguished service award for her exemplary social service.

An author of two books, she has over 1000 blogs to her credit. She has been interviewed several times by womensweb.in, speakbindas.com, goodnewsindia.com, and betterindia.com. Witnessing Anou’s work, donors have created Project WHY setups in the UK, France and Germany to raise funds.

ANOURADHA CAME UP WITH A NEW EDUCATION MODEL – THE 4E MODEL.

WE EDUCATE

Underserved children.& ensure holistic development

WE EMPOWER

Women and youth.through Skill Development programs

WE EMPLOY

Local Community people and our alumni.

WE EXPLORE

Opportunities for global services, entrepreneurship & reverse migration to villages

IT encourages enrolment to government schools, arrests dropouts, offers holistic after-school education, enables children to dream big & realize their dreams, employs alumni, empowers students to explore new avenues and make education a lifelong process.

A strong-willed Anouradha lost both her parents to cancer, fought her husband’s cancer and is herself a cancer survivor. She has not let her health come in the way of overseeing Project WHY. At the age of 74,( in 2026), she is an epitome of grace, simplicity, intellect and utmost compassion.

MEMORIES

OUR STORY

OUR JOURNEY

Project WHY began in 2000 with just 40 children, a dream to teach spoken English, and a handful of dedicated volunteers. As more children joined, every challenge became an opportunity. Empty parks, pavements, tents, and small community spaces transformed into classrooms because we believed no child should be denied the chance to learn.

What started as a small initiative at Giri Nagar grew into a mission to support children from underprivileged communities—many of whom lacked educational support at home and were at risk of dropping out. Alongside academic assistance, we created safe, nurturing spaces where children could learn, grow, and dream..

Today, Project WHY operates 4 After-School Support Centres, empowering 1,200+ children and 300+ women, while creating employment opportunities within the community. More than an education programme, our centres are spaces where learning, confidence, life skills, and hope come together to build brighter futures

WHY? Educate

Since 2000, Project WHY has been bridging the education gap for underprivileged children through its After-School Support Programme. Designed to complement formal education, the programme provides academic support, life skills, and enriching activities in a safe, child-friendly environment. Through personalized learning and continuous guidance, we empower children to build confidence, improve learning outcomes, and create brighter futures.

WHY? EMPLOY

From the very beginning, Project WHY has believed in empowering the community by recruiting teachers and resource persons from within it. Their shared experiences help them build trust with children while creating meaningful employment opportunities. Today, our team of 50 community resource persons plays a vital role in transforming lives, with 80% relying on Project WHY as their family's primary source of income.

WHY? EMPOWER

Project WHY empowers communities to become active partners in change by promoting inclusion, equality, and shared responsibility. Through parent engagement, girls' education, women's literacy, and awareness programmes on the environment and social responsibility, we foster stronger families, confident individuals, and responsible citizens.

WHY? EXPLORE

At Project WHY, we believe lasting change begins within the community. By nurturing local talent, strengthening families, and promoting equal opportunities, we empower individuals to become leaders of their own development. Our initiatives encourage parental involvement, champion girls' education, support women's literacy and livelihood, and inspire children to become responsible, compassionate citizens. Through awareness campaigns, life skills, environmental action, and community.